Impact of COVID-19 on medical students in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Medical student training in the United Kingdom has undoubtedly been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most notably, there have been disruptions to teaching, cancellation of exams and clinical electives and the abandonment of research projects. In response, medical education has been reshaped to facilitate the continuation of studies, such as the online deliverance of course material, digital examinations and implementing welfare and financial support systems. There has also been a surge in student volunteers, often playing critical roles in primary and secondary care to support National Health Service (NHS) staff working on the frontlines. This opinion piece will aim to address the effects of COVID-19 on medical students and their training, and further evaluate how well medical schools responded to the challenges presented by the pandemic. This should highlight aspects requiring improvement and will allow medical schools to be better prepared to tackle similar dilemmas in the future.

Student support systems for undergraduate medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic narrative review of the literature

“…Except for some included studies, the majority of reports were not explicitly designed to investigate outcomes of the devised support strategies and merely described the innovations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more context-appropriate support mechanisms are required to lessen the burden on the students and better prepare for similar future situations [ 37 , 38 ]. COVID-19-related deaths and morbidities, as well as protective policies implemented by authorities such as social distancing and cessation of in-person activities, have affected mental health negatively and, as a result, led to psychological problems among students [ 16 – 19 , 39 – 41 ].…”

Implementation of Online Teaching in Medical Education: Lessons Learned from Students’ Perspectives during the Health Crisis in Marrakesh, Morocco

“…At the Marrakesh Medical School (FMPM), it is necessary to institutionalize online education which must be complementary and not a substitute for the usual classes. Having a more holistic approach to the students' training must be adopted in postpandemic period taking into account the mental impact of COVID-19 on students as well as improving the security and technology of virtual platforms [14,25]. We recommend the following.…”

A Commentary on “COVID-19 impact on Surgical Training and Recovery Planning (COVID-STAR) - A cross-sectional observational study”

“…Of the respondents, only 3.7% (30) of the respondents were medical students [ 1 ], one of the most affected and vulnerable populations within medicine due to the current public calamity [ 2 , 3 ]. Studies have found overwhelming difficulties with respect to the development of medical careers due to the abrupt change from face-to-face to virtual, especially in those regions where there is no access to internet, poor quality, and high levels of poverty, so students do not have a computer [ 4 , 5 ].…”

“…Not to mention that due to the financial crisis around the world, many students have had to abandon their studies to work and contribute financially to their families. Those who have managed to adapt have cancelled clinical electives and abandoned research projects [ 2 ]. For those who aspire to surgical residencies, the lack of surgical training, participation in medical rounds, restriction in campus access to practice with simulators, among many other situations, will influence the decision to apply for a surgical specialty, knowing that the protocols and challenges are very strict [ [6] , [7] , [8] ].…”